


Come a Little Closer (I Worshipped You)

by Aurora_Sapientia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Flashback, Galaxy Garrison, Garrison days, Hurt feelings, Keith and Lance Backstory, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Langst, My poor baby Lance I'm so sorry, Pining Lance (Voltron), Rival backstory, Rivals, klance, klangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-20 23:10:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11931291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurora_Sapientia/pseuds/Aurora_Sapientia
Summary: The first time Lance sees Keith fly, he is in awe. By the first time he hears Keith's name, he is gone.Or, the somewhat tragic backstory of everyone's favourite rivals.





	Come a Little Closer (I Worshipped You)

  _You brought me down to my knees_  
_And I’m haunted by you_

   -   [Dark Bloom, Amber Run ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SG_3J2VVbk)

 

 

He hadn’t known what it was to be in awe of someone before now.

Sure, he’d had heroes. People he wanted to meet, talk to, be like. People he’d idolized. But watching this kid with the tousled hair and the wild eyes step out of the simulator like it was the threshold of a home, he could feel something was different.

There had been something savage about it, how this boy had flown. Something inherently vicious in the way his flight commanded paths in the sky as though all of space existed just for him to exist within it. It was a ruthless kind of freedom.

Awe. That had to be it, this shy warmth unfurling inside him. The boy moved to stand before their commander, and Lance felt something molten spilling in his chest.  

Keith.

That was the name that flecked the paragraphs of praise. The name Lance could feel hurtling through his thoughts like fireworks.

The crowd dispersed as they were dismissed but Lance let his feet drag. He watched the boy, Keith, lingering alone at the back of the crowd.

His breaths huffed from his lips as he let himself fall behind, a hand raising to scratch the back of his neck. The boy didn’t lift his head when Lance came beside him and matched his footfall. Lance smiled at him – grin big and unbridled.

“Hey! You know, those stunts you pulled back there were pretty cool. You were all like, nee-ow, nee-ow, nee-ow! Like really fast. It was epic.”

The boy’s head tilted just barely, but his eyes stayed low even as they darted in Lance’s direction.

“Uh… thanks.”

Lance’s grin widened. “I’m Lance. I’m a cargo pilot now, but I won’t be for long. I’ll be fighter class soon. You better watch out buddy, I’m gonna knock you right out of number one! Just wait.”

“Uh huh.” Keith’s eyes slid to his feet once more. Just as Lance was leaning forward to peer through the thick hair hanging around Keith’s face, the boy was turning down a dormitory corridor and walking away. Lance stopped, feet skidding slightly.

“Oh, later Keith!”

Keith grunted something unintelligible, twisting his head slightly in a half-hearted attempt to glance over his shoulder. He strode down the hallway, arms tight at his sides.

Lance watched him go, a crooked kind of smile playing at his lips.

 

xxx

 

The next time he saw Keith was in the cafeteria.

By then the name had been singed into the walls of his brain, like an indentation for pieces of his thoughts to catch on. He’d been remembering those eyes, and how he hadn’t gotten close enough to see their colour. He could still see the way they had blazed, though.

He’d been thinking that he wanted to talk to him again. Maybe Keith could help him; give him some pointers, show him how to swerve like he’s following the path of his own bloodstream. Maybe they could talk, and he could hear more of that voice. Ask Keith about his flying, why he’s here, what he thought of the lunch menu. Maybe they could be friends. Maybe they could know each other. 

Keith was a few people in front of him in the line waiting to be served. It moved like molasses, that line. Lance’s fingers tapped against his thigh as he waited, eyes periodically darting to that mess of dark hair. He watched as Keith stepped forward to be served, took his tray, and turned to leave. Keith moved to an empty table, upon which he chucked his tray only to pick off a few choice items of food and shove them in his pockets. He turned away then, abandoning the rest.

Lance watched him stalk past, and sucked in a quick breath.

“Hey, Keith!”

Keith didn’t turn, or make any indication that he’d heard Lance at all. Instead, he continued manoeuvring around tables towards the exit, head bent gently forward. Lance stepped out of the line to jog after him. When he came up behind Keith, he slowed to a walk and called out again.

“Keith! Wait up! You can eat with –” Without slowing, Keith twisted his head around and glanced at him - took him in - then turned back around.

Lance stopped talking. He stopped walking then, too. His footsteps trailed off along with his train of thought and he stood, watching the dark-haired figure striding away even faster than before. He kept watching until Keith had left the room and rounded the corner, and he remembered just how close those eyes had been when they had looked at right at him and then away again.

Like he meant nothing.

He turned away, eventually. Back to the line, which had grown quite extensively in length and hadn’t saved his place.

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING!!!! I hope everyone who made it through enjoyed!!!! 
> 
> Don't be too mad at Keith. I'm sort of thinking that this is around the time he just heard that Shiro is leaving for Kerberos. Hard times all 'round. 
> 
> The title is also from Dark Bloom by Amber Run. 
> 
> ALSO A BIG MASSIVE THANK YOU to everyone who left those lovely comments on my other fic!!! Update will come I promise! 
> 
> Thank you so so so much for reading. Please leave your thoughts down below!!! Tell me what you think, whatever it is, I'd love to know. 
> 
> Thank you!  
> My tumblr is aurora-sapientia15, please come chat! :)


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